Conventional dilators are typically employed to gain surgical access to a target surgical site. For instance, an incision is made in the patient's skin, and the dilator is inserted through the incision and the soft tissue so that the distal end of the dilator is positioned adjacent the target surgical site. The dilator thus defines a channel through the soft tissue through which the surgical instruments can be driven to the target surgical site. Conventional dilators can include blades that at least partially define the channel. The blades can be actuated from a first position to a dilated position so as to expand the distal end and widen the channel at the distal end, thereby increasing the surgeon's working area at the target surgical site.